NATURAL flea treatment and an itchy dog?

I know that people say to give the dog garlic to prevent fleas, how much do you give them? Would a garlic supplement be good too? My dog does not like to eat garlic. What can be used externally that is a natural flea repellant?





Also, his skin seems to be really irritated, maybe he has some kind of dermatitis from having fleas? He was never badly infested, but his skin is so sensitive to the touch, he falls apart when we pet his back! What is a good treatment for this?





Lastly, we have hardwood floors, so I'm at a complete loss as to take preventative measures in the house?





Thanks for any input!

NATURAL flea treatment and an itchy dog?
I doubt that it's fleas.


My old German Shepherd had similar problems to what you are describing. We changed her diet to include rice, (Steamed) mixed with a raw egg plus my wife would cook extra vegetables for the family and the excess was mixed in with the rice. We cut out canned food and dry dog food. My wife would purchase about a dozen chicken carcasses, (basically the rib cage) from wholesale butchers each week. Store in the freezer and thaw one or two a day and feed them UNCOOKED to our dog. (Cooking them makes the bones brittle and dangerous for the dog). This diet help her (the dog) enormously.


Be very careful using flea treatments as you dog may not have fleas and if it's like my old dog, the treatment can be detrimental to the dog's skin condition.
Reply:Absolutey.Every scratching dog does not have fleas!! Report It

Reply:I read somewhere that putting vinegar in the dog's drinking water helped get rid of fleas. I don't know how much to use though.
Reply:Please take the dog to a vet, and don't rely on "natural" remedies. Don't take a chance that your dogs skin condition becomes worse. If it is fleas, use Frontline 30 day application. But check out his skin w/vet 1st.
Reply:You can just give them the garlic pills at any drugstore. Not sure on the amount though. My dog is allergic to a lot of things and my vet told me I can give her benedryl. Try to give him a bath with oatmeal shampoo.
Reply:I've never heard of a "natural" remedy that actually works. In the meantime your dog is really suffering!!! Please go to your vet or to the local shelter and buy a product such as Frontline and use it right away. Your dog can get parasites and other nasty things from fleas. Please don't delay take care of this right away. Your dog depends upon you!!
Reply:I know that on puppys you are supposed to use dish soap because you can't put flea medication on until they are 6 months old. Im not sure how it works, you might have to wash him once a week.
Reply:I had a dog that was allergic to the flea bites themselves.Something to do w/ the fleas saliva or something. Anyway, the best treatment I know of is called Spot Shot. It comes in a little tube and you rub it into your pets fur. We got it from out vet.


If you dont want to go that route, I suggest the ultrasonic method. This little device plugs into a power outlet and emmits an oltrahigh frequency above your pets hearing. Ask your vet for details.


Good luck.
Reply:i am a former pet groomer. but natural repellent i know nothing about. easy cheap ways to help some of your problems, that i can do....1. there is something called 20muleteam borax, it is located were you buy your luandry detergent, comes in a box. lightly sprinkle borax around the inside of your house, preferably along the walls. that will kill and repell alot of the fleas, now get the dog. 2. start with getting the fleas off of him and then deal with the skin issue. not everyone knows that fleas will drown. so this is what i used to do for my personal pets. i used to use my dish degergent, palmolive. start with wetting the dog, this is very impotant....start with the neck of the animal so the fleas can't run to the head. apply dish detergent like you would your shampoo. all the way around the neck,apply a good amount. then work your way back. be careful when getting water in your pets ears, not good for them. be careful around the face too, but dont skip it or you wont do any good at all. now that you got the soap on your best friend, this is the most important part, let your dog soak in the shampoo for no less than 15 minutes. the fleas will die....then rinse....now skin problems 3. go to your pet supply store and get a shampoo that is called pine tar, and simply follow the directions. pine tar is awesome for the skin of dogs...hope this helps.... oh by the way leave the borax on the floor of your house......vacuum up every now and then and put more down...
Reply:There is a website called Pet Medicine Chest that specializes in all-natural remedies for dogs and cats. There is a product there for fleas that is basically diatomaceous earth (you can purchase this at Home Depot in the pool care department near the chlorine and shock.) Diatomaceous earth is a mineral compound that kills fleas by drying out the waxy protective coating of their bodies, thereby dehydrating them so they die. It is safe to use around pets and can be put directly on their bodies, as it is safe for them to ingest. It can also be sprinkled around the yard to kill and repel fleas and other insects.





I have been through this problem many times while living in Florida and California. You may not like hearing this, as it does involve applying chemicals to the area, but natural products are very slow to work. If you're like me, you want to help your pets NOW, and giving natural stuff a week or more to work just doesn't cut it. Having said that, to relieve your pet's problems now, this is what I do:





1. Give your dog a bath - this can be with flea shampoo, though if his skin is as irritated as you say, this may not be a good idea. Flea shampoo will inhibit the eggs hatching as well as kill fleas. But there's a shampoo called Earth Dog or something like that with tea tree oil in it - that will help his itching, and if you leave it on him for about 5 minutes, it should drown any fleas on his body.





2. While he is drying, throw all his bedding in the wash in hot water, and vacuum any carpet and the crevices of the sofa and all the cushions/throw pillows.





3. After he is completely dry, put Frontline Plus on him. This will kill and repel any fleas that he comes in contact with, as well as disrupt their egg-laying cycle so no more eggs are laid nor existing eggs hatch. Regular Frontline is not as good, and I've never found another product to come close to F/Plus in effectiveness.





4. Use a good insect spray or bug spray in the house and outside around the perimeter of the house and around the yard. I've had good luck with Zodiac flea spray for carpet and upholstery - very good for the sofa, cushions, area rugs, and throw pillows - pay close attention to the crevices. I've also used Ortho Home Defense for indoor/outdoor use - both have worked well with no adverse effects.





5. Apply the diatomaceous earth around the perimeter of the house and all over the yard. I've found it's much easier to use the natural stuff as maintenance once you've gotten rid of the initial infestation.





6. Stir a little powdered garlic into a couple spoons of canned food daily - this will help make him taste bad to fleas. And the canned food masks the taste of the garlic.





Sorry this is so involved, but I've found that the attacking the fleas on every level is the most effective way to guarantee you're eliminating them all. Your dog will likely be very itchy still for many weeks. The bites take a long time to heal. You can bathe him again in the tea tree oil weekly, as that seems to help.





Combating fleas is not cheap. It requires time, money, effort, and patience. Prevention is the best medicine. If you live in an area where flea infestation is common, use the Frontline Plus every month like clockwork! Good luck!
Reply:Heh...Herbal meds...I'm sorry but this stuff cracks me up...I've seen so many people try "herbal" and all natural stuff for thier animals...yea...it works for a little while...then its done. Especiall y for medication...people wonder why the infection keeps coming back. If you want TOTAL protection...use Frontline or Advantix....although I prefer Frontline....trust me..its worth the money.

night jasmine